News Release

Ontario Government Working in Partnership with Municipalities

Premier and Ministers Meet Hundreds of Local Officials in Ottawa

OTTAWA — The Ontario government is putting people first by building stronger, local partnerships with municipalities and giving them the supports they need to better serve their communities.

The government joined hundreds of municipal officials for the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in the City of Ottawa. Ministers, associate ministers and parliamentary assistants met with more than 600 municipal delegations from across Ontario — another record-breaking number for the government.

"As the level of government closest to the people, municipalities know best how to meet the needs of their communities," said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. "Our government will continue to provide supports to help municipalities modernize service delivery and find savings, while working in partnership on our shared priorities. Together, we can help communities across the province grow and prosper."

At the conference, Premier Ford announced the government will provide municipalities with:

Transitional funding for public health and childcare;

An increase in funding by an average of nearly four per cent for land ambulance services for 2019 and an increase in 2020;

The current structure of the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF), the province's main assistance grant to municipalities, which will be maintained for 2020;

"We welcome the Ontario government's commitment to work with municipal governments and AMO," said Jamie McGarvey, President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. "As frontline service providers, municipal expertise and experience is essential if we want to achieve solutions to our shared challenges. After all, we serve the same people, taxpayers and communities."

The government will continue working with AMO and its members to modernize service delivery, reduce the province's debt burden and improve the quality of life for people across Ontario.

Quick Facts

Ontario’s 10-year, $144-billion strategic infrastructure capital plan includes over $90 billion for public transit and provincial highways over the next decade.

The government will provide the remaining $6.74 million to municipalities to help with cannabis legalization costs. The government is also investing $3.26 million to support municipalities with enhanced enforcement.

To date, the government has identified 94 provincial reporting requirements for elimination and is simplifying or consolidating 27 others. This will allow municipalities to focus on the things that matter most — the frontline services people rely on every day.